Have You Heard That?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 25

Have You Heard That?

Florence Vidor plays in support of Emil Jannings in “The Patriot.” “Three Sinners” is Pola Negri’s next picture. “White Hands.” by Arthur Stringer, will be Esther Ralston’s next picture. * ♦ . Lew Cody, finished with his Ornheum tour, has signed a contract with Metro-Gold wy n-May er. Sally O’Neil stars next in "Saturday Night.” The cast includes Ralph Graves, Eddie Gribbon. Cylvia Ashton and Jean Laverty. Two pictures purchased for George Jessel are “The Schlemiehl” and “George Washington Cohen.” Colleen Moore was holiday-making at Honolulu when “Miss New Zealand” (Miss Dale Austen) was there recently. Aaron Hoffman's play, “Give and Take,” Is being filmed under William Beaudlne’s direction with George Sidney, George Sharon Lynn. Douglas Fairbanks, junr., plays the lead in a new Tiffany-Stahl picture. “Power," to be directed by Reginald Barker. » * » m + * Bebe Daniels declares that she will never marry until she retires from the screen. Esther Ralston boasts two leading men in a new Paramount comedy, as yet untitled. They are Jack Luden and Richard Arlen. Having completed one feature comedy already this year, Louise Fazenda. Clyde Cook and William Demarest are starting another for Warner Brothers. The story is “Pay As You Enter.”

DOLORESDEL RIO CHANCE FOR FAME PRODUCER’S DISCOVERY Edwin Carewe, director of “Resurrection,” tells of his discovery of Dolores del Rio, who plays lead in the film version of the Tolstoy novel. My newly-acquired wife and I decided to enjoy our honeymoon in

Mexico City. So Claire Windsor and Bert Lytell, who had been our attendants at the wedding and who vere themselves newly married, went south from Hollywood with us. A mutual friend in Mexico City presented to the visiting Americans Senor and Senora del Rio, and the beautiful senora, a native of Durango, Mexico, danced and sang for us. Claire, Bert and Mrs. Carewe all agreed that she was perfectly charming and decidedly individual. We tried (as people from Hollywood are apt to do) to recall some film star whom she resembled. When none came to mind, a bigger thought entered my head. It struck me that a beautiful woman with an olive complexion and clean-cut, wrellmoulded features and flashing dark eyes and looking unlike any other film star, ought to be a marvellous acreen bet herself.

“How would you like to try the films ?’* I asked. Everyone laughed good-naturedly until I insisted I was perfectly serious, and that I would not even wait until we were outside the drawingroom to prove my sincerity. The uiatter was dropped then, of course, for proud and wealthy Mexican families think long before allowing their daughters to follow independent careers. We returned to the United States. I wrote back to Mexico City. Three months later Dolores Del Rio arrived in Hollywood for her first screen test. It was a distinct success, and it tipped the scales in favour of affirmative decision by her family. i gave her a little part in Joanna,” then another in “Pals First,” and then I loaned her to Fox for the role of Charmaine in “What Price 01017.” When I decided to film Tolstoy’s Resurrection,” naturally, I thought of Dolores del Rio for the; role of Katusha Mazlova. A dozen friends, w hose judgment on such matters I greatly respect, also urged her as ideal for the part. As Dolores was under personal conlr*ct to me I did not like to follow my °*'n instinctive and enthusiastic decision to cast her in a role that w T as Perfectly suited to her type of acting, the informal jury of friendly directors* scenarists and actors settled it; jfiy own judgment had been confirmed by unprejudiced outsiders. So Dolores del Rio, discovered in Mexico City in 1925, received the important role of Katusha Mazlova in Resurrect ion.”